Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Enhanced Integrated Framework ...

• Support of commercialized agriculture,leading to an improvement in agriculturalproductivity throughout the rural economy.Comprehensive Agriculture and RuralDevelopment program: The ComprehensiveAgriculture and Rural Development program(CARD) is a series of programs designed tosupport the poorest and most vulnerable segmentsof rural society. The CARD representsthe Government’s approach to providing diversifiedincome sources, through income support,direct provision of assets, skills trainingand market opportunities, and is crucial toproviding alternatives to producing narcotics.Interventions will be targeted and tailored tospecific regions and groups.In implementing the CARD, the Governmentwill ensure that efforts to promote activity inthe sector will stimulate and not displace spontaneousviable private sector development.The devolution of authority will be undertakenover a number of years to ensure the capacitiesat all levels of government exist. The Governmentwill work to reconcile the introduction ofsub-national governance measures down to thevillage level with existing community organizations.In particular, the role between proposedVillage Councils and the existing CommunityDevelopment Councils set up under theNational Solidarity Program and which havebeen given legal status will be clarified.Strengthening sub-national governance structuresin line with the newly-formed IndependentDirectorate for Local Governance will alsobe undertaken.The Government will work with NGOs, civilsociety and the international community on theprioritization of the sub-components of theoverall CARD program and to develop thefunding requirements in some detail within alog frame matrix, identifying what will be doneby when. This will allow a cooperative effortby the international community and the Governmentto reallocate resources towards thoseefforts that appear most effective in improvingrural livelihoods. Ongoing monitoring andevaluation will be essential to address identifiedconstraints and successes and alter theprograms as necessary.The principal program among the 15 programsof the CARD is the National Solidarity Program(NSP), the Government’s main communitydevelopment program. Implemented bythe Community Development Councils (CDC),the more than 50,000 projects benefit approximately2 million people in rural areas. TheNSP is developing the capacity of CDCs toidentify community needs and transfer fundingand necessary support resources to fund localizedsmall scale activities of importance to ruralcommunities, such as roads, irrigation, waterwells and school. It is a successful and popularprogram used to empower these communities.It is a major contributor to meeting a number ofthe Compact benchmarks and is a successfulexample of country-wide Government, donorand NGO coordination. It establishes theframework for future programs that providegreater control to local communities, includingthe private sector, over development funds.The other 14 programs of the CARD include:• The National Food Security Program willpromote and implement food security opportunitiesat the household level, benefitingover 1.2 million households by 2010.This will decrease malnourishment ratefrom 57 percent to 35 percent. A key componentof this program is the support toimprove local governance in 38,000 villages.• The National Area Based DevelopmentProgram will support all District DevelopmentAssemblies to develop district leveldevelopment plans which will supportcomprehensive rural development and regeneration.• The Horticulture Program will supporthorticulture development and supplyfarmers with saplings, provide equipmentfor trellises and establish pest control systemsleading to a 20 percent increase inperennial crop production and significantexports through public private sector partnerships.• The Livestock Program will support livestockproduction by importing purebredsheep, establishing commercial dairyplants and poultry units for women farmers,increasing productivity and output.• The National Rural Access Program willsupport rural road construction and reha-90Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)